Carrion

A Fairytale Reimagining (The Darkly Dreaming Duet, Book 1)

In a world devastated by plague, Willa has spent her life on the run: both from the mysterious illness that destroys the ability to dream and a secret that would get her imprisoned forever.

But when an unknown power calls her to the top of a high rise one night, there is no outrunning it. Willa falls headfirst into a world shaped by dark dreams and wild magic, a once vibrant kingdom now held in the malevolent thrall of a man carved straight from nightmares—the Carrion King.

To keep her secrets safe from the cruel and cunning king, Willa makes a dangerous bargain that will determine the fate of both their worlds. But as Willa is drawn deeper into the Carrion King’s seductive realm, she discovers far more than she expected beneath his lethal exterior. The line begins to blur between hate and love, the true and the imagined, and she soon realizes victory may cost not only her freedom, but her heart.

In a fairytale land of dreams, where the fantastical is more tangible than reality, Willa must decide whether to sacrifice everything as a hero or become a villain to save herself.

Author’s note: In the Darkly Dreaming universe, there are infinite worlds and realms. Somewhere, the stories of Peter Pan we were told as children are playing out alongside this one, a far darker tale. So, while Carrion is based in Neverland lore, the events and characters are different from those you’ve heard before. We’ve done exactly what Pan always feared we would—we grew up. And perhaps, our stories grow with us. Now we’re old enough to realize there was no hero in Neverland, and often times, nightmares are far more corporeal than the sweetness of dreams.

Carrion is an adult fantasy romance, intended for mature audiences. Listeners are encouraged to check content warnings, available on the author’s website.

©2024 Amarah Calderini (P)2025 Amarah Calderini

The narrators really brought these characters to life

I absolutely loved this book so much when I read it the first time, and now I love it even more!! The way the narrators capture the characters’ personality and reactions is amazing and I loved getting to experience these characters being brought to life in a whole new way. The quality of this audio is absolute perfection!!

Peter Pan Retelling like you've never imagined

Get ready to rediscover the power of imagination and the potential of dreams. This dark fantasy romance.

Beautifully written exploration of trauma, desolation, fear, and extreme loneliness and finding yourself, the idea of home, and unconditional love. This book ends on a cliffhanger.

Phenomenal performances by Jacci and Brandon!

I cannot wait for the next book!

a magical new world bounded by death and dreams

“And what is truer, or more desperate, than a dream?”

Carrion is the first book in the Darkly Dreaming duet, a Neverland inspired dystopian-esque fantasy romance. I received an advance listener copy and my thoughts are my own. Thank you to the author for my audiobook copy.

Tropes and themes include:
✨Sarcastic pet names
✨Death daddy
✨Stabby FMC
✨Burn the world for her
✨Morally gray MCs
✨Chronic pain representation
✨Found family
✨Enemies to haters to lovers
✨Dream magic
✨Hair washing scene
✨Slowburn
✨Nightmares
✨One bed
✨Hurt/comfort

Rating: 5/5 Stars 3/5 Flames
Nicknames: Darling, Corpsey

Audiobook Thoughts: This is a duet style narration by Jacci Prior and Brandon Francis. I think I’ve found my top audiobook of the year. Niko’s voice is just perfect, and his dark chuckles had me smiling each time. Willa’s voice is beautiful, clear and emotional, bringing the author’s story to life.

The Lovely: This story is a beautiful, wild ride. The author has created a magical new world bounded by death and dreams. Her writing style is lyrical as she weaves a lush setting and you flow along until she rips away your footing. I found myself forgetting I was reading and then BOOM - I was shaken back to the reality of the book).

Also Lovely: I also loved the main characters and how the lines between villain and “good” were. . .blurred? non-existent? Their stories were heartbreaking and shaped who they became and how they interacted. Their relationship is messy, frequently frustrating (in a good, realistic way) and dark.

Recommendation: That ending has me. . . unwell. This definitely ends on a dramatic cliff-hanger that will leave you asking - what was THAT? At one point I was thinking I had a pretty good idea as to how the story would end. And then the author was like, nah, let’s add some pure chaos to the ending. I’m terrified for book two of the duology.

Absolutely incredible

I read this when the book first came out and absolutely loved it. I listen to the audiobook this time and the narrators were fantastic! The way Jacci Prior and Brandon Francis brought Willa and Niko to life had me squealing, screaming, panting, and crying. Everything was excellent and it made me fall in love with the book and the characters even more. Amarah's writing has me in a chokehold and I just want to lay in a dark room and listen to the audio on repeat so I can savor every perfect line.

Thank you to the author for the gifted audio copy. My thoughts are entirely my own.

Highly detailed and entertaining

The author is so detailed with the characters and surroundings, you’ll feel like you’re in their heads and in the places. The love story is not rushed and makes it more believable. It is a slow buildup of characters both main and supporting. Well written fantasy romance.

OBSESSED

I read this book last year when it came out, and getting to hear it brought to life on audio now was absolutely incredible. The story is an absolute fave. The narrators did an outstanding performance, so much emotion in their voices. This is an adult, dark fantasy romamce. If that's your thing, I highly recommend this book in any format!

Absolutely Love It!

Beautiful rendition of Peter Pan. My only complaint is that the female narrator speaks so slow. Long pauses. Speeding it up is a decent fix but if the male voice comes in you have to slow it down again.

New Favorite Retelling

I never knew that I would end up loving Peter Pan retellings as much as I do, and this book rocketed to the top of the list.

Willa is such a strong FMC - she is flawed, she is feisty, and after being on her own for so long, she's learned to depend on herself. But she eventually learns that she doesn't have to live that way when found family comes into play. Until she learns this, however, the banter and tension between her and the King of Carrion is *chef's kiss* and had me intently listening.

Jacci Prior and Anthony Palmini did a FANTASTIC job of bringing these characters to life. They're always a favorite duo, and the depth and emotion they brought to the story was so beautiful that I was sad when it was over. I'll be eager for book two, and I will be rereading via audio!